Grace for Today – Just for Today

You cannot hoard grace, but for thousands of years, man has tried. I am no different.

The Israelites were starving in the desert, so God sent them manna (grace) every morning for FORTY years. Some, thinking they knew better, tried to save extra manna (grace) for tomorrow, but what they got instead was moldy, maggot filled bread. They had to live the next FORTY years, trusting each day that God would send them the manna (grace) that they needed for survival. They were not to worry that there would not be manna (grace) tomorrow, nor were they to dwell on the manna (grace) from the day before.

The Israelites did not get to provide for themselves, they had to TRUST God for today’s manna.

Neither do we get to provide for ourselves, we have to TRUST God for today’s measure of grace.

Why is that so hard to do? It sounds so simple, yet it is a lesson I continually have to learn.

That March day, pregnant with my second child, one week away from the dreaded 28 weeks (when I was put on bed-rest with my first), I decided to trust God to give me the grace that I needed for each day. I would not think back on my previous pregnancy complications, nor would I be consumed with what could be. It is good to reflect on the past, to learn from our mistakes, but it is not good to dwell on the past, you cannot live there, you get today alone. It is good to plan for the future, I could no sooner stop myself from planning then I could stop myself from breathing. But being so consumed with what is to come that you miss today’s journey; that is no way to live.

Grace for TODAY, for TODAY is what we get to live.

After that day, my prayer became:

Grace for today, may your provision be enough for me.

Grace for today as I learn to eat the diabetic way.

Grace for today as I learn to give myself insulin shots.

Grace for today as I am put on bed-rest.

Grace for the moment to get through this (painful) contraction.

Grace as I held my beautiful baby girl for the first time. We were both going to be alright. God is good.

With each and every prayer He came and wrapped his arms around me. Sometimes I could feel His presence so closely, that I could scarcely breathe. GRACE FOUND ME. I was at PEACE amidst the storms around me, at PEACE amidst the very illness waging war inside my body. He gave me the manna I needed for survival.